March/April 2016 RiverCity Magazine

NEIGHBORHOODS FULTON HILL

LEGENDS & LEGACIES

YESTERDAY’S POE, TODAY’S POETS

RiverCity BLUEGRASS AND BEYOND WALKABLE RICHMOND TASTEBUDZ NEWS LOCAL BIRDING

City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities

Natural Gas Pipelines are Everywhere You Are...

www.RichmondGov.com

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NEIGHBORHOODS A NEW START FOR GREATER FULTON

RiverCity MARCH/APRIL 2016

TEMPLE HILL

RichmondNavigator.com PRESIDENT // PUBLISHER

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WALKABLE RICHMOND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR AND YOUR COOL OLDER COUSIN

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BLUEGRASS AND BEYOND THE HOTS SEATS AND VIRGINIA’S OLD TIME TRADITION

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Ashley Brammer, Temple Hill, Chris Johnson, Davy Jones, Rachel Marsh, Meredith Temple, Morton Fog Photography, Robert Thomas, Robert Maurice

In This Issue

CONTRIBUTORS

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Yesterday’s Poe, Today’s Poets

Appetizer and Drink Specials

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News from Around Town

News from Richmond’s Dining Scene

FIRST OF ALL

LEGENDS AND LEGACIES

10

MAKING THE MOST OF BIRDING In Nearby Hanover County

Mea Culpa We incorrectly listed the Harvest Grocery and JM Stock Provisions address. The correct address for your butchery and gourmet grocery needs in the Fan is 1531 W. Main St. 2 RiverCity

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GENERAL // EDITORIAL INFORMATION

About Our Cover: Flynn Cross demonstrates pole moves, exercises that incorporate floor work, dance, spinning moves, static upright poses, climbs, and inversions.

Photo courtesy of SOUL Aerial and Performing Arts Center

NEIGHBORHOODS FULTON HILL

LEGENDS & LEGACIES

YESTERDAY’S POE, TODAY’S POETS

RiverCity BLUEGRASS AND BEYOND TASTEBUDZ NEWS BIRDING IN HANOVER WALKABLE RVA

Contact Us! E: Info@RichmondNavigator.com All rights reserved. Any reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

All articles and contents of this magazine are not necessarily the opinions or thoughts of RiverCity magazine, Advertising Concepts, Inc or the publisher.

FIRST OF ALL

MARCH/APRIL 2016

You’ll Flip Over this All-Ages Exercise Experience What do you get when you cross a classically trained dancer, teacher, choreographer, actress, singer and pianist who has a passion for the aerial arts with a 6,000-squarefoot studio? You get Flynn Cross and her SOUL Aerial and Performing Arts Center.

Located near The Diamond, SOUL offers a unique blend of classes for children, teens and adults, from beginner to advanced.

Some of the studio’s most intriguing classes include: • Circus Babies for ages 8 months to 3 years, and Circus Ponies for 2½ to 4 years: includes hula-hoops to crawl through, beanbags to toss and silks to blow.

• Fairy and Dragon Flying School for ages 4 to 6: prepares kids for the aerial program.

• Aerial Hammock for ages 8 to 15 (especially suitable for those who have dance or gymnastics experience): introduces aerial skills that build flexibility, strength and coordination.

• Kids Capoeira, ages 7 and up, or Capoeira Angola for adults: teaches the Brazilian mix of martial arts, acrobatics and dance.

• Hoop classes, for teens and up: takes you from the basics to fancy tricks, all building your core while burning calories.

Other dance classes cover hip hop, belly dancing and pole dancing, providing both exercise and fun.

For more information, visit SoulAerial.com or call 804-310-4858.

Glimpses of the Past

Catch a glimpse of old Richmond at The Valentine’s current exhibition, Edith Shelton’s Richmond, on view through May 8.

The Edith K. Shelton Slide Collection consists of more than 3,000 35mm color slides, mostly from the 1950s, with some from the 70s and 80s. Images provide a glimpse into Richmond’s older neighborhoods, many that have changed dramatically. Other images may seem like current-day movie sets – familiar buildings with dated accessories and costumes.

Shelton favored Richmond’s downtown districts and focused particularly on the Jackson Ward and Carver neighborhoods during the 1950s. She also captured the Fan District; Church Hill; Union Hill; Gamble’s Hill; the Financial District; the riverfront area and the city center; Shockoe Slip, Bottom and Valley; Monroe Ward; Oregon Hill; Court End; and French Garden Hill.

Nearly as fascinating as the photos is the photographer. Edith Keesee Shelton was born in Richmond in 1898. She attended Miss Morris’s School for Girls and Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, where she played basketball, was a member of Phi Mu sorority and was voted “most boyish” by her peers, graduating in 1918 with a degree in Latin. She returned to Richmond, living with her parents in an apartment at 1001 W. Franklin St. (the Raleigh Building). Shelton worked for the University of Richmond from 1927 till her retirement in 1969. She died in 1989.

Although the facts of Shelton’s life are known, her motivations seem to remain a mystery. Says The Valentine web site: What makes a university secretary and cashier spend all her spare time (and likely money) traipsing through “old” and sometimes rough neighborhoods of Richmond?

Why did she take these images? What was she using them

for? When the slides were donated to the Valentine, they came with individual index cards describing each one; she must have had a plan – she was not just a casual observer. As a member of the Valentine Museum, the Virginia Historical Society and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, she obviously had an appreciation of the past, and a burning desire to document some of it!

For hours and other museum information, visit TheValentine.org or call 804-649-0711.

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FIRST OF ALL

Float

R

COURTESY OF FLOAT NORFOLK

YOUR WAY TO RELAXATION

elaxation is vitally important to one’s health, and one of the newest ways to achieve such tranquility is coming to Richmond’s Fan district. Kenzie Korman is opening Vitality Float Spa in March at 202 S. Robinson St., focusing on flotation therapy in both open-air tubs and enclosed pods.

Flotation tanks use salt-dense water to provide the perfect cradling effect. At skin temperature, this water envelopes you in nearly seamless comfort. When this effect takes place in a dark, enclosed pod, flotation therapy combines with another popular new therapy – sensory deprivation.

According to Discover magazine writer Shelly Fan, studies demonstrate that flotation facilitates relaxation, decreasing blood pressure and levels of stress-related hormones – “effects that persisted long after the cessation of the last flotation experience.” In fact, she said, one analysis found that “flotation was more effective at reducing stress than other popular methods such as relaxation exercises, biofeedback or relaxing on the couch.”

Some studies have further found that flotation “enhances performance in a variety of athletic and musical tasks that require high levels of concentration and visual-motor coordination,” Fan reported, and may possibly even stimulate creativity.

Others have found flotation to be useful in treating stress-related disorders and physical disorders such as hypertension, headaches, insomnia, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic pain.

Korman, also a certified massage therapist, opened Vitality spa in Carytown in 2012. The new location will expand her services, including massage and skin care as well as flotation therapy, in a more costeffective location.

The new Vitality Float Spa will open next to The Cask Café – enjoy a float and a beer for the ultimate experience (then let Uber transport your jellified body safely home). Until the spa opens, you can find Vitality (without the float) at 2117 W. Main St. in the Fan or online at VitalityFloatSpa.com.

COURTESY OF FLOAT STL

EXCITING Y LUXURIOUS ACCOMMODATIONS

For Your Pet

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our bags are packed for your next exciting trip. Your spirits are as high as the jet that will take you far, far away – that is, until the fateful, guilt-laden moment when you have to drop your beloved furry friend off at a kennel.

But what if you knew that your pet would be staying at luxury accommodations that in many ways rival or even exceed your destination? What if you knew that your pet’s caretakers would give him unbeatable attention, comfort and fun?

The new Holiday Barn Pet Resort offers just such an experience.

Owners Michael and Emerson Hughes have opened the newest Southside location directly off of Midlothian Turnpike at 614 Johnston Willis Dr. The 33,600-square-foot facility boasts a dog bone-shaped swimming pool, 40 posh suites with chandeliers, televisions, comfy cots and artwork; 56 private cottages; and 84 standard kennel accommodations with private runs – all featuring radiant heat in the floors. The pet resort offers 33 multilevel cat condominiums with built-in aquariums and separate ventilation as well as a groom shop, spacious dog training room and extralarge indoor and outdoor play yards for day care pets.

The Hughes family first began serving Richmond-area pets at their Glen Allen location in 1972. Since then, they have taken pet care to a new level. Holiday Barn Pet Resorts was declared one of the “Top 10 Places to Pamper a Pooch” by the Travel Channel, featured on NBC’s Today Show and highlighted in The New York Times. Locally, the Hughes family and the entire Holiday Barn staff support local humane organizations such as AARF of Richmond, Fetch a Cure and Richmond SPCA. Ready to take off on your next trip without guilt as a companion? Visit HolidayBarn.com or call 804-794-5400 to make plans for giving your furry friend a scrapbook memory of his own.

Richmond’s Forgotten Neighborhood FEATURE

MARCH/APRIL 2016

Gets a New Start “As

a child, I couldn’t live up there,” recalled Rosa Coleman. “I couldn’t go to school there. I couldn’t go to church up there.”

The “up there” to which Rosa Coleman refers is the Fulton Hill neighborhood. Coleman, an African American, grew up at the bottom of the hill, in an area known to many simply as Fulton.

Today, we may know it better as Historic Fulton.

Rosa Coleman doesn’t say this with any bitterness. In fact, as current president of the Fulton Hill Civic Association, it’s more with a sense of pride and accomplishment that she discusses the changes she’s seen in her lifetime.

Things have, indeed, changed in Historic Fulton, long a forgotten neighborhood in the city’s far East End. Today, Historic Fulton, Fulton Hill and the adjacent community of Montrose Heights are known collectively as Greater Fulton.

Fifty years ago, when Rosa Coleman was a little girl growing up in Fulton, her neighborhood was predominantly black. “Fulton Hill was the white neighborhood,” she told me.

Coleman said she really didn’t think much about the segregated state of affairs when she was young. Her life didn’t center around where she couldn’t go. “Everything I needed was in Fulton,” she said.

“We had our own library, department stores, a grocery store. We even had our own theater.”

However, in the early ’70s, that all went away. Following a flood on the James River, many of Fulton’s residents chose to accept money from the city’s Relocation Assistance Act. They moved out of the neighborhood. Following that exodus, virtually all traces of this once-vibrant neighborhood were completely demolished. Coleman said, as a young teenager, that didn’t really bother her. It wasn’t until years later that it hit her. “I went back to my old neighborhood and it was gone. My history was gone.”

But times change.

By Steve Cook TEMPLE HILL

Today, Coleman lives up on top of the hill. Her granddaughter attends school there, and Rosa Coleman goes to church there.

The Fulton Hill Civic Association, over which she presides, is involved in activities to create a welcoming community for all. “Greater Fulton is a very nice place to live,” she said. “We’re working for new development. We’re trying to get better housing.”

Fulton is no longer the forgotten neighborhood that it once was. Of course, one of the major developments to bring about the changes that are now taking place in Fulton can be summed up in two words: Stone Brewing. In October 2014, the California-based brewing company, a major player in the craft beer industry, announced it was expanding to the East Coast and that Richmond’s Historic Fulton area was going to be the site of its 200,000-square-foot production brewery and distribution facility. Stone was going to be investing nearly $75 million in this long-ignored neighborhood.

Perhaps now, for the first time since the community began to sprout up after the Civil War, all eyes were turned to Fulton. However, even before that announcement, some were beginning to speculate about Fulton’s future. Richmonder Matt Sanders said he had already suspected that Fulton was going to be the next Church Hill. He had seen how the once economically depressed neighborhood had made an amazing transformation over the past decade or so. However, Sanders said it wasn’t until Stone’s announcement that he got serious about investing in Fulton.

“As soon as I heard Stone Brewing was coming,” he said, “I started looking at houses there.” Last April, Sanders closed on a home in Fulton Hill. The previous owner had already begun renovations on the house, but he was able to buy it at a price well below today’s market value.

One of Sanders’ neighbors, Justin White, has also enjoyed the revitalization in the neighborhood.

He moved into Fulton Hill several years

RichmondNavigator.com 5

FEATURE ago. White, who owns Advanced Plumbing, LLC, said that he fell in love with the property when he first saw it. He admits that it did need quite a bit of renovation. “It didn’t even have a bathroom when I bought it. I’ve put a lot of time, energy and money into the neighborhood,” said White, adding that it’s been worth the investment and that he has no plans to leave Fulton.

Besides Stone, other businesses are investing in the community.

Fulton Hill Properties, a Richmond firm that specializes in transforming neighborhoods through contextual development, both historic renovations and new construction, was recently granted approval from the city to begin construction on a major apartment complex in the community.

Maritza Pechin, development manager for the company, told me that Studio Row will bring more than 200 market-rate apartments to the neighborhood. Although about 20 of the new units will be leased at income-based rates, Pechin said that the fact that the majority of these luxury apartments are being offered at market rates will provide the impetus needed to spur new commercial growth in Greater Fulton.

The development centers around the firm’s existing Fulton Hill Studios, which is located in the renovated Robert Fulton Elementary School on Carlisle Avenue. The school, built in 1916, was shut down in 1979. Fulton Hill Properties bought the five-acre site in 1997 and reopened it as offices and studios in 1999.

The mixed-use, mixed-income development involves the construction of two new buildings, offering a total of 204 apartments. The project also includes renovating the Fulton Hill Studios (the old school), which in its new configuration will provide space for 38 apartments, 10,000 square feet for creative offices, a 2,000-square-foot gallery and a coffee shop.

Of course, nothing has spurred more interest in bringing additional amenities into Greater Fulton than Stone Brewing’s big plans. I was anxious to find out just why the brewery, which had been courted by other cities, had made its final decision to move to Richmond in general and to the Fulton area in particular.

“Richmond’s vibrant energy and impressive craft beer culture, along with the uniqueness of the property, will allow us to create a truly memorable Stone experience for our fans,” said Pat Tiernan, chief operating officer for Stone.

Continuing, Tiernan explained the appeal of Greater Fulton.

“Ultimately, we decided on this particular neighborhood because FUTURE SITE OF STONE BREWING WORLD BISTRO & GARDENS - RICHMOND

6 RiverCity

we see serious opportunity there, and not just where brewing is involved. The area’s rich historical past, the energy and passion of the Fulton community and riverfront location were all too good to pass up.”

What a Cinderella story this is shaping up to be for a once-nearly forgotten neighborhood. By the time Stone Brewing completes their plans for the neighborhood, Fulton could well become a beautiful princess on the local scene.

Anticipating the opening of the first phase of the brewery’s project on March 2, including the Stone Company Store - Richmond, Tiernan said, “Fans will be able to visit us for merchandise and a wide variety of our beers brewed on the West Coast. Beer will be flowing from the Richmond brewery later this spring, at which point fans will be able to order a glass of fresh Stone beer and take beer home in a growler, bottle or keg. Once all of the necessary safety measures are met, brewery tours will be available, similar to what we offer at our Escondido headquarters.”

But that’s just the start. In a couple of years, Tiernan told me, the brewery will begin working on Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens in Richmond. “For the bistro,” he said, “we will be renovating a two-story, 30,000-square-foot building, transforming it into a destination restaurant spanning four acres.

Guests will be able to enjoy craft beer, dine and relax in an inviting atmosphere featuring a beautifully landscaped garden.”

It turns out that Stone Brewing won’t be the only craft beer game in Fulton. In early February, Richmond-based Triple Crossing Brewing announced that it had purchased about 4.5 acres in the Greater Fulton area. According to co-owner Scott Jones, the existing 30,000-square-foot, single-story building on Hatcher Street “will allow us to grow our production output while providing a unique tasting room and outdoor experience.” That outdoor experience, Jones said, will include a kid-friendly beer garden. The facility, he said, should be open in late 2016 or early 2017.

By that time, we can only imagine just what this neighborhood will have to offer. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of individuals such as Matt Landers, Justin White and Rosa Coleman, as well as the folks like those at Fulton Hill Properties and Stone Brewing, the Fulton of tomorrow will be a sight to behold.

We can only imagine the buzz of activities as residents of Studio Row enjoy their amenities, including a 75-foot lap pool and a fitness center.

FEATURE Crowds will be gathered at Stone Brewing to taste the wares or to take a tour of the facilities.

Over by the river, just picture the festivities taking place at and around the new beer garden.

Justin White looks forward to a time when he and his wife can walk down the street and enjoy a cup of coffee in a neighborhood coffee shop.

“When we first got married, she wouldn’t even walk down the end of the block at night,” he told me.

Matt Sanders may have a variety of new restaurants within a block or two of his home, where he can grab a beer and enjoy visiting with neighbors new and old. That’s his dream for the community.

Rosa Coleman will, no doubt, continue her positive efforts to ensure that Greater Fulton will be a welcoming, thriving neighborhood for all to enjoy. No doubt she and countless others will take pride in knowing that Greater Fulton is a popular

MARCH/APRIL 2016

destination for residents from throughout the city, from around the state and from across the nation. Yes, little Fulton is forgotten no more.

RC

WRITER’S NOTE: As one would expect, there are many today whose entire lives were disrupted by the injustices perpetrated in Historic Fulton. We do not take the sufferings of former residents lightly, nor is our intention to cover over or ignore those very sensitive and real emotions. However, the thrust of our story is to highlight that the entire community is poised for a dramatic comeback – a comeback, we hope, that will positively impact past, current and future residents of the neighborhood.

For more insight into the history of Fulton, visit the Historic Fulton Oral History Project in the specialty collections at TheValentine.org.

ROSA COLEMAN

ROUNDABOUT IN THE MIDDLE OF ROCKETT'S LANDING

OVERALL PLAN FOR STONE BREWING - RICHMOND

COURTESY OF STONE BREWING CO.

AERIAL VIEW OF BUILD SITE FOR STONE BREWING - RICHMOND

RichmondNavigator.com 7

FEATURE

Yesterday’s Poe, Today’s Poets The Legacy of Edgar Allan Poe

By Rachel Marsh

EDGAR ALLAN POE

was a weird guy.

I’m just going to say it, okay? He was odd. I like him, sure, but his writing was unusual, and his tendencies were abnormal. But, most likely, it’s his idiosyncrasies that earned him so much recognition during his time, and even today.

Poe was born in Boston in 1809 but only lived there for the first two years of his life, until his mother died. He moved to Richmond, where his foster parents raised him until college. He started at the University of Virginia, but after a gambling addiction landed him in severe debt (I get it – I thought about trying that to help pay off my student loans, too), he enlisted in the army at the age of 21.

After a brief stint at West Point, Poe was kicked out for your standard stoppeddoing-stuff and decided to pursue his career in writing. Thankfully, because who knows what would have happened if he pursued a career in accounting.

He came back to Richmond and found a job working at a local magazine called River City magazine. Just kidding, it was called Southern Literary Messenger.

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At the time a very dry publication, Poe swooped in with his eccentric personality and unique writing style. Many believe his intention was to bring out-ofthe-box writing to the magazine, just to gain awareness and readership.

It apparently worked well, but due to combativeness and the whole “showing up to work drunk even when it wasn’t Friday” thing, he was asked to leave after only two years.

From there, Poe continued to hone his craft. He gained inspiration from nature (good thing he lived in Virginia) or current events (good thing he lived in one of the South’s major slave trade markets) or his personal life (good thing he fell in love with his much-younger cousin).

Though he never made a lot of money with his writing, he definitely made a name for himself. He caught people’s attention with his untraditional thinking and quirky stories.

While most writers of that time composed pieces laden with morals and valuable lessons about leading an honorable life, Poe was writing stories about eternally beating hearts, black cats buried alive and human-death-by-pendulum. He focused less on teaching lessons and more on creating emotion within his readers. He even conceived the first detective story (CSI fans, you’re welcome).

Poe pushed the boundaries, broke whatever writer’s mold he was supposed to be in and never cared about anyone’s opinions. This approach received mixed reviews from modern day authors. Ralph Waldo Emerson, for example, referred to him as a “jingle man.” I don’t know what that meant back then, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t imply “a well-respected writer with lots of bold and insightful ideas.” A lot of other esteemed writers of the time, however, particularly Europeans, regarded him highly for his work; they appreciated his unique thinking and touted him as brilliant.

In 1922, less than 100 years after his death, supporters opened the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond to honor his life and invite others to learn more. It’s still around today (pause for shameless plugging), located in Shockoe Bottom and filled with great events and fascinating tours that will make you love him even more (it took every bit of willpower I have not to write “evermore”).

Poe’s work may have ended in 1849 after his strange and conspiracy-theory-riddled death, but the vein of writing in Richmond certainly did not.

As someone who would rather spend all day writing essays, blog posts, tweets or to-do lists rather than poetry, I knew very little about the local poetry scene. But as with most things in Richmond, or a blister, you just have to scratch the surface a little to realize how much more is underneath. So, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe himself (and my editor, who’s paying me to do this), I trekked out into the world to uncover Richmond’s poetry scene.

First I ventured over to the Words on Fire poetry slam at the Firehouse Theater. It happens about every other month and is open to seasoned poets, amateur poets and even people whose poems all start with “Roses are red, violets are blue.”

FEATURE The stage is set up like a living room, either to enhance the ambiance, make people feel more comfortable during the readings or because, who knows, maybe someone lives there. Words on Fire starts with a featured poet spouting some form of verbal gold into everyone’s ears. Then poets can sign up for the open mic and read a poem or two of their own. There was a brief intermission for us to gather our emotions, then another featured poet and more open mic time.

The next weekend, I dedicated my Saturday night to Slam Poetry Richmond. (By the way, they’ve been doing this for nine years! How am I just now learning about them?!) Slam Poetry Richmond has an event every Saturday, with a two-ish hour open mic poetry slam for those who want to share their poetry or just watch.

And before the actual slam, they offer a twohour writing workshop. Compared to other poetry circles around Richmond, you don’t have to bring something to work on. Instead, participants are given a prompt, time to write and then a space to share. And no … much to my relief, you don’t have to write poetry. It’s just a way for writers to get some extra feedback and get more into the habit of writing on a regular basis.

We took an hour break, then met for the open mic poetry slam. The space was casual, the poetry was powerful and the coolest part was how well everyone knew each other. Oh! And we even snapped for people while they read! Which I totally thought was just something they did in the movies!

MARCH/APRIL 2016

Between poetry slams and open mics, there are tons of meetings around town for writers to get together in a safe and personal space to meet and share and bounce ideas off of each other. Though there are a lot of the same attendees, they’re still really welcoming to newcomers (even newcomers who contribute little in the way of poetic insight and nothing in the way of actual poetry).

Even after all of these years, it’s still a topic of debate as to whether or not Poe blazed the trail for his fellow Richmond writers. Would there be as prominent of a writing scene if he’d, say, stayed in Boston? Or never come to Richmond? Or died from tuberculosis like his cousin-slash-wife?

I asked Chris Sempter, historian at the Poe Museum, this very question. Obviously, it’s hard to say for sure – it’s not like Poe himself set up all of these writer’s workshops and poetry slams (although wouldn’t that have been cool). But as Sempter pointed out, “The Richmond [Poe] grew up in was not known for its literature. It was a political town, and the few newspapers it supported were devoted to partisan politics.” Now Richmond houses the only literary museum in Virginia and a surplus of writing and poetry outlets. Coincidence?

So, as weird and quirky as Edgar Allan Poe was, he blazed a trail for future writers in Richmond.

And, in my opinion, we should be thankful for his contributions evermore.

WORDS ON FIRE POETRY SLAM AT THE FIREHOUSE THEATER. COURTESY OF SLAM RICHMOND

RC

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FEMALE DOWNY WOODPECKER

MAKING THE MOST OF BIRDING IN HANOVER COUNTY

As

Photos and Story by Robert Maurice

long as I can remember, I have paid close attention to the wildlife outside my window, especially birdlife. I derived great joy in walking into the woods and meadows behind my house with just a bag lunch, a pair of binoculars and a pen and paper to log my daily discoveries. Although I am a long way from where I grew up as a child, Hanover County has that same country feel that I knew and loved.

From our backyards to our parks, Hanover County provides roughly 473 square miles of wood, meadows, rivers and open spaces, ample opportunity for birds to live and raise their young. So if you are among the growing number of people, both young and old, who find it stimulating to take notice of the natural world outside your door, then this is a great place to be.

Traveling to Hanover’s more rural settings gives the bird enthusiast an opportunity to see shy birds that are less apt to show themselves in busier areas.

North Anna Battlefield Park, with a variety of tree and plant life, a mixture of forest and bushes and the North Anna River, provides an opportunity to see a more concentrated number of birds than we might ordinarily see in our own yards. The park covers 172 acres with six miles of trails for hiking and bird watching. Last summer, in just one day, I was fortunate enough to see a red-shouldered hawk, blue-gray gnatcatcher, black-and-white warbler, pileated woodpecker, male and female downy woodpecker, brown-headed nuthatch, yellow warblers and chatty catbird, among others.

Several other parks in the county, including Montpelier Park in Montpelier, the beautiful Cold Harbor Battlefield Park in Mechanicsville and Poor Farm Park in Ashland, also offer trails for bird-watching access.

Though these parks can be accessed year round, it pays to plan some of your bird-watching forays around the times migrating birds are making their seasonal journey to or from their winter homes. During migration (April and May in the spring and August through October in the fall), you may spot birds you would not ordinarily see. Migration times vary, since certain prompts such as current weather conditions can motivate a flock to start earlier or later.

Birds migrate primarily for resources to raise and feed their young. Although escape from cold can be a factor for fall migration, even the smallest birds, such as hummingbirds, can survive freezing temperatures if they have adequate food. In most cases though, the cold weather coincides with dwindling food supplies, prompting the birds to travel to warmer climates where food and nesting possibilities are more abundant.

During migration, any time of day could unveil some wonderful discoveries, but the hours just after sunrise are prime in that nocturnal birds that have been flying all night are looking for somewhere to rest and find nourishment.

Migrating birds may remain in an area for days or even weeks in an attempt to regain their strength and depart in the most favorable flight conditions, whether accessing wind direction or avoiding storms and heavy precipitation.

Our year-round birds, though normally very self sufficient, sometimes need help getting through tough times, and our attempts to help them pay dividends in offering us more opportunities to observe them. For example, when our weather turned severe during January’s 12 to 20 inches of snow, birds had difficulty finding food in the ice and snow. So keeping some birdseed on hand can be a lifesaver for our colorful friends. I feel, as you may, that I owe them at least that much for all the pleasure they give me. Sunflower seed, millet, peanuts, raisins, mealworms and safflower are just some of the many foods they love and appreciate. Suet provides a great energy boost during cold weather.

Access to water is always important for their survival, regardless of the season.

It doesn’t take much to get started as a birdwatcher. Get yourself a good reference book, a decent pair of binoculars and maybe a camera and you should be good to go. Feel free to email me with questions at rm56205@gmail.com.

CEDAR WAXWING

RC

CAROLINA WREN 10 RiverCity

MARCH/APRIL 2016

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tastebudz

FL AVOR

By Steve Cook

TRIPLE CROSSING TO DOUBLE LOCATIONS: I was putting the finishing touches on our article about Richmond’s Greater Fulton neighborhood for this issue (see page 5), and just as I put it to bed (don’t you love a man who speaks publishing lingo?), I get the word that Triple Crossing Brewing has announced big plans to open a new facility in that neighborhood. So I got on the horn and spoke with Scott Jones, one of the co-owners of Triple Crossing. He told me that both he and business partner Adam Worcester are from Richmond and really love the energy that’s coming out of the Greater Fulton neighborhood. He said that he and his partners had been looking for a location to expand for several months before making the final decision. You can read more about Triple Crossing’s exciting plans in our article on the Fulton neighborhood.

BURGERS AND BREWS ON THE BOULEVARD: Staff photographer Tim Hill can’t stop raving about Chris Tsui’s brand new Boulevard Burger and Brew at 1300 N. Boulevard. It is a cool sight at night, when the all-glass-front, former-fast food eatery is brightly lit, packed with diners, and the big-screen TVs are blazing. The Las Vegas-style sign out front also adds to the overall coolness of the look. I haven’t personally dined there yet, but Tim is already a big fan of their burgers and brews. I’m anxious to try their Kelly’s Classic, a burger named as a nod to the Kelly’s Jet System fast food hamburger stand that stood at this location in the 60s and 70s. I’d also be tempted to try one of their adult milk shakes. I don’t think that was on Kelly’s menu, but, even if it were, I’m pretty sure my mother would not have approved.

EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD CITIZEN: Speaking of burgers and beer, I’m excited about a new place headed for Carytown. Andy McClure, owner of Citizen Burger Bar, told me that he’s shooting for an April opening for his new Cary Street restaurant. “We love patio season,” he told me. The restaurant will be located at 2907 W. Cary St. in the former Portrait House location, which offers one of Carytown’s coolest patios.

Regarding the decision to bring his second Citizen to Richmond, Andy said, “Richmond has always been a consistent place to visit over the years (plus both my sister and brother went to VCU!). Obviously it’s bigger, but it also has such a distinct style, with each neighborhood offering a unique feel. I have particularly always loved Carytown. It has that cool vibe wrapped in a small-town neighborhood feel.”

As to what we can expect, he added, “It’s a perfect hangout for locals and visitors. We are all about the local scene – as an extreme when it comes to our food and bar, but definitely with our style and approachability, too.”

Andy said that in keeping with his practice in the Charlottesville store, he intends to “seek suppliers who are right down the street.” Sounds as if his place will be a perfect addition to Carytown.

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GIVE ME LIBERTY: Josh Carlton and Amy Foxworthy, of the Mill on MacArthur restaurant, are getting ready to open their dining venture in Church Hill, to be known as Liberty Public House (at 418 N. 25th St.). The restaurant is being opened in what was once the East End Theater. A new theater-style marquee has recently been attached to the building, which will house apartments in addition to the restaurant.

TEMPLE HILL

HURRY IT UP AT BOTTOMS UP: If I were the creator of old adages, I’d come up with one like “Really good pizza is worth waiting for.” That’s so true, except when you only have a limited lunch hour and yet you’re in the mood for one of those fantastic Bottoms Up pizzas. For decades, Richmonders have been flocking to 1700 Dock St. in Shockoe Bottom to satisfy their cravings for a Bottoms Up Pizza.

Well, here’s some good news. Now you can pick your pie and eat it too. (That’s another old adage I’m working on.) Bottoms Up has a special lunchtime 15-minute guarantee. Here’s how it works.

You order your pizza. In fact, you can even order online at BottomsUpPizza.com. Choose any one of their seven most popular pizzas and it’ll be ready for dine-in or carryout within 15 minutes – or it’s free.

The guarantee applies from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and is good for parties of 10 or fewer.

Now you can enjoy your Bottoms Up pizza during lunch break and still make it back to work on time. As they say, “All’s well that ends well.”

SERENDIPITY DOO DAH: I had parked over at Main and Morris streets out and about the other day to check out a new little restaurant for this column. While I won’t go into detail, the folks at the place were not all that friendly, so I tucked my tail between my legs (figuratively speaking) and headed back towards my car. On my way, I saw a sign advertising the Greenbriar Café and Coffeehouse at 1211 W. Main St. I have to be honest – I’d never heard of it. But, since I was just a few doors away, I poked my head in the door and discovered a really cool little café and coffeehouse.

One of the best things about the place is the couple who runs it, Julius Green and his wife, Meredyth Temple. Not only are these two of the nicest folks you’d want to meet, but they have a passion for what they do. I like that.

Julius, especially, loves creating in the kitchen.

“He makes nearly everything from scratch,” Meredyth said of her husband.

“I just love cooking,” Julius said. It’s evident that Julius takes great pride in everything that comes out of the kitchen.

When asked for some recommendations, Meredyth said the Bistro Steak (house-roasted beef, sautéed onion, smoked Gruyère and horseradish sauce served on a roll) is one of the most popular dishes. But she also suggests the Greenbriar, which is a vegetarian sandwich made of roasted mixed vegetables, homemade hummus, lettuce and Greenbriar dressing.

Check out their menu online (GreenbriarCafe.com). There’s a lot to like.

The café is open for breakfast and lunch daily.

MEREDYTH TEMPLE

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NEW TAVERN FOR THE TRIANGLE: When we spoke with Dave Bender, owner of Caliente Restaurant, at the end of 2015, he told me that he was getting ready to do a little remodeling of his place. What he didn’t tell me at the time was that the remodeling was more of a total rebranding.

Dave’s new Sheppard Street Tavern at 2922 Park Ave. will have probably opened by the time you read this. The “new” place should better reflect his appreciation for the changes that he’s seen in the Devil’s Triangle since he first opened Caliente in 2004. While the menu will be changing, he said the Stupid Hot Wings will stay.

THE WILD FRONTIER: Chris Davis, owner of Alamo BBQ , told me he’s working on opening a new spot, to be known as Frontier by the Alamo. “We’ll be doing some fun things with many of the products that we serve here,” he told me. “We’ll explore international barbecues.” Chris said the focal point of the restaurant, to be located in the 400 block of N. 25th Street, will be a wood-fired rotisserie.

“It’s going to be different, anything from a small lamb to duck to whole fish,” Chris said. “We’ll serve it Euro-style.” He also said the Frontier will offer a communal atmosphere, similar to venues he remembers from growing up in South Texas. Chris isn’t ready to announce an opening date quite yet. “I want to take my time and do it right,” he told me.

READY TO PEEK UNDER THE VEIL: It now looks like the new Veil Brewing Co. won’t be ready to open its doors on Roseneath Road in Scott’s Addition until April. From what I’m hearing from a lot of craft beer enthusiasts, The Veil is going to be doing some really great things with their beers. A lot of the anticipation is due to The Veil’s co-owner and head brewer, Matt Tarpey, who worked at three of New England’s leading breweries: Portsmouth Brewery in New Hampshire as well as The Alchemist and Hill Farmstead breweries in Vermont. Tarpey also served an apprenticeship at Brasserie Cantillon, a traditional Belgian family brewery, known for its spontaneously fermented lambic and gueuze beers.

SHE STROOPS TO CONQUER: Our very own Meredith Dauksz just made a big move from Union Hill to Church Hill. I’m guessing she just wanted to live closer to some of her favorite restaurants.

One of her culinary loves has been Dutch & Co. at 400 N. 27th St. The folks responsible for that successful eatery have recently opened a new place, Stroops Heroic Dogs at 2709 E. Marshall St. Even the name is intriguing. Here’s Meredith’s report: Every warm-weather weekend I’m awed at the line wrapping around Dutch & Company – locals and visitors to the Hill waiting for the bizarrely topped craft sausages that somehow work perfectly. Roasting away on the plain black Webber grill, these weekend dogs became so popular that Dutch & Company was able to carry that dream to brick and mortar.

The Back Door dog has moved to the front of the house alongside the restaurant’s renowned Stroop waffle.

I savored my Turducken dog topped with duck confit stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce and regretted only ordering one. I did, however, get two house-made sodas – orange habanero, which I decided was “Orangina’s” cooler, spicier cousin, and a classic crisp root beer. As with Dutch & Company, chef Shriver, chef Perrow and manager Michelle Shriver have done it again: fantastic fare with flavor combinations that spark taste buds and imagination, enjoyed in a cool, simple setting.

Well, it’s time to go back on the hunt for more restaurant news and views. Remember to read TasteBudz at RichmondNavigator. com. We publish an updated column every Thursday afternoon.

And, if you have any restaurant news, please send it to us at TasteBudz@RichmondNavigator.com.

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(804)644-4400 ONLINE ORDERING: 1700 Dock St. Richmond 23223 BottomsUpPizza.com

A RICHMOND TRADITION FOR 25 YEARS!

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Legend Brewing

The Tobacco Company

321 W. 7th St. 804-232-3446 | LegendBrewing.com

1201 E. Cary St. 804-782-9555 TheTobaccoCompany.com

Richmond’s long-standing brewpub has been serving pub fare and their own freshly brewed beers for over 21 years, with appetizers, sandwiches, burgers and hearty favorites. In nice weather, you won’t find a better view of the city skyline than Legend’s patio.

This Richmond classic offers upscale dining in one of the city’s most unique venues. Downstairs in the club, you’ll always find a party going on.

Monday through Friday, 3 to 7 p.m.

Halffy Hour, Monday through Thursday, 2 to 4 p.m.

House martini – $6 House wine – $3 Domestic bottles – $3 Well drinks – half off

Half pitcher of beer – $5 Half pints of beer – $2

Regular happy hour – Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday, 5 to 7 p.m.

Appetizers – 3 for $20

One More Thing

Appetizer specials on selected appetizers $1.00 off on all ales and lagers

Special happy hour in the Tobacco Company Club, Thursday through Saturday, 8 to 9 p.m., features rail drinks for $1.50 and domestic beers and house wines for $3.

Little Mexico

1328 W. Cary St. 804-525-4216 | LittleMexicoVA.com

Capital Ale House

This family-owned restaurant serves authentic Mexican cuisine using traditional ideas and vision to create a modern restaurant in a relaxing atmosphere. The South of the Border fare is made with fresh ingredients and can be paired with a refreshing cocktail.

623 E. Main St. 804-780-ALES | CapitalAleHouse.com “Virginia’s beer authority” offers one of the largest selections of craft and imported brews in the metro area, along with upscale bar food, burgers, steaks, salads and more.

Monday through Friday 3 to 6:30 p.m.

Monday through Friday, 3 to 7 p.m.

Draft beers – $1 off Highballs – $1 off House specialty cocktails – $3 off Featured wines – $2 off All happy hour appetizers/snacks – $5

Draft beer – $3 House Margarita – $4 Tecate Mexican beer – $2

One More Thing

All day on Monday, chow down on $1 tacos. On Wednesdays, enjoy the $1.50 enchiladas.

One More Thing

Over 40 beers on tap and more than 140 in the bottle. Check the online calendar for the schedule of live performances in the adjacent Music Hall.

Poe’s Pub

2706 E. Main St. 804-648-2120 Facebook.com/PoesPub1 Enjoy Poe’s good, stick-to-your-ribs fare, including baby back ribs, corned beef and cabbage, sandwiches and salads.

Monday through Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.

Domestic bottles – $1 off Rail drinks – $1 off

One More Thing

All drafts – $1 off All appetizers – $1 off

Don’t tell anyone, but the not-so-well-kept secret among many is that Poe’s Pub offers the best Sunday brunch in town. Owner Mike Britt swears that this is true.

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FEATURE

WALKABLE RICHMOND

By Rachel Marsh

I LOVE RICHMOND AS MUCH AS I LOVE WALKING.

And luckily, like a young couple strolling through Carytown, Richmond and walking go hand-in-hand.

There are so many areas in Richmond that have easy accessibility for walking. Let’s start with the obvious, the Fan. If, for some reason, neighborhoods could be translated into people, the Fan is kind of like the girl next door. It’s charming, lovable and inviting. As a neighborhood, its houses and apartments have a lot of character and its streets are heavily peppered with businesses, shops, restaurants, libraries and museums.

Plus it’s generally flat and comfortable to navigate, making walking easy, and biking even easier. And the Fan is a beautiful place to explore, any time of year, to look at the trees and buildings and historical landmarks and monuments of children about to get hit with a tennis racket.

If the Fan is the girl next door, Shockoe Bottom is your cool older cousin who gave you your first cigarette as a teenager.

Shockoe Bottom is effortlessly sophisticated; it’s filled with clubs, award-winning restaurants, historically significant milestones, dated yet functional buildings and walking trails. You can take a stroll through the Canal Walk or a brisk hike to Belle Isle and Brown’s Island, with easy access to this river that we’ve got running through our city. Plus, Shockoe Bottom holds the 17th Street Farmers’ Market, for weekly market needs and those summertime festivals that Richmond loves.

Now, if the Fan is the girl next door and Shockoe Bottom is that cousin who used to buy you beer when you were underage, then Church Hill is your great-aunt who, instead of getting married or getting a lot of cats, just got cooler with age.

Church Hill has been around for a while, and its buildings have stood the test of time … which makes for some really uniquely beautiful architecture. It contains many residences, some fantastic restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops, and Libby Hill, also known as one of the most social media’d (did I just coin a term?) lookouts in

the city. Be honest, who here doesn’t have a picture of Tobacco Row at sunset on their Instagram?

Anyway, let’s head back uptown to Scott’s Addition, just north of the Fan. So if the Fan is the girl next door, Shockoe Bottom is your cool older cousin who smokes pot under the bleachers and Church Hill is your eccentric great-aunt, then Scott’s Addition is your little brother who grew up to be someone you finally enjoy hanging out with.

Now, thanks to Richmond’s booming booze industry, Scott’s Addition has transformed from the web of warehouses and abandoned buildings to “Beer, cider, mead, more beer, more cider, and hey how about more beer.” There are also some quaint restaurants, coffee shops, other businesses, and residences poking their heads through the infinite flow of alcohol. Plus, since it’s so close, Scott’s Addition shares the Fan’s beneficial flat landscape and grid design.

So what exactly makes a walkable neighborhood? For starters, let me throw this one word at you: sidewalks. (Wait, is that two words?

Side walks. No that doesn’t look right. Side-walks. That’s not it either.

I guess it is one word. Or what is that called, a compound word?) Okay, one compound word: sidewalks. For some reason, few of the suburban regions of Richmond have caught on to this whole idea of pedestrian safety, but it’s something that these walkable neighborhoods know all about. You can walk off the roads on designated footpaths and cross the street safely with crosswalks (cross-walks?).

“But Rachel!” you may say to me through your magazine page or computer screen if you’re one of those people that talks to their reading material, “You’ve told me all of these neighborhoods where I can find walkability, but what is the advantage to a walkable area?”

Well, think about those times when you’re heading to either your destination or just getting some fresh air … You can’t possibly make it home without a snack? Boom, grab some of those wasabi peas from a market along the way. You need a pick-me-up? Boom, grab a coffee along the way. You want a different kind of pick-me-up? Boom, happy hour along the way.

PHOTO BY CHRIS JOHNSON

AERIAL VIEW OF CHURCH HILL.

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ASHLEY BRAMMER

VIEW FROM THE VIRGINIA WAR MEMORIAL

CANAL WALK, A LUNCH HOUR FAVORITE FOR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES

ASHLEY BRAMMER

And hey, who knew that walking, the same thing that saves you money on gas, can keep you in shape? Okay, we all knew that, but didn’t I put it into an interesting and thought-provoking perspective?

(I’m imagining you saying “yes” to your reading material.)

Say farewell to the monotonous treadmill and expose your tennis shoes to pavement for a change. The girl next door, the audacious cousin, the quirky great-aunt, the little brother – all of the walkable neighborhoods in Richmond are runnable neighborhoods as well. I’ve also seen non-runners get really creative with their outdoor workouts.

I once witnessed a guy using a bench to do crunches. And there’s yoga offered during warmer months in various parks, like Libby Hill and Dogwood Dell. Or, if you’re more of a swimmer, you could do some laps in the James (which, for the record, I would totally not recommend).

Now, get out of your car, stop polluting the environment and give this pedestrian-friendly city a try.

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BLUEGRASSANDBEYOND THE HOT SEATS AND VIRGINIA’S OLD-TIME TRADITION MORTEN FOG PHOTOGRAPHY

P

lace matters when it comes to music. Playing old-time music in Virginia means joining a long tradition, all the way back to the mountain music that preceded country. The Hot Seats preceded the current wave of oldtime revival, having formed in Richmond more than a decade ago and recorded 10 albums. But what’s most exciting is the present, because the Hot Seats make reverence relevant by traveling backward and forward at the same time – and having fun doing it.

I spoke with percussionist Jake Sellers recently, and we started by talking about how the group balances the weight of tradition and the drive to find their own space for creativity.

“I don’t think it’s very strategic on our part,” Sellers said. “We’re really just trying to entertain ourselves. We also are proud, in a sense, not to be crowd panderers. We’re not just going to play what’s easy for everyone to get behind. I think [we want] to revive things that people don’t really know about.”

That means knowing and mastering a variety of styles and instruments. In fact, drums aren’t Sellers’ only contribution.

“I’ll play bass when we’re doing actual bluegrass or old-time. I’ll play percussion for old-time, too, because old-time is just a little more freewheeling. We had a really hard time describing ourselves … but I would always just use the general ‘string band’ umbrella because I thought that was all-encompassing. We could 20 RiverCity

be a honky-tonk band, we could be an old-time band, we could be a bluegrass band, we could do all that.”

That flexibility has helped the band act as ambassadors for the region’s musical traditions, especially in the United Kingdom, where the group tours regularly.

“In the U.K., we typically play village halls and theaters,” Sellers said. “They’re just really fascinated with American culture and they love Americana music, and they’re also very invested in actually listening and paying attention.”

For American groups touring in that part of the world, that level of attention can be jarring.

“When we first started going over there,” Sellers remembered, “we took a while to gain confidence that they actually liked us because they’re so quiet and so reserved. It was just a lot of polite clapping in between songs and maybe very polite whispering to each other.”

In a format so interactive – overseas or in the States – reading the situation is crucial. Sellers noted that the key is to balance information and entertainment one show at a time.

“You have to know your audience. Sometimes people are there to just mingle and hang out.

Other times, people are really paying attention … You can tell who’s fascinated, approach them later, strike up a dialogue and give them a chance to ask questions if they want to, which I think is a really nice thing to do.”

In their role as ambassadors, the Hot Seats

also carry the torch of old-time’s sharp sense of humor, which was immediately apparent in the band’s original name, Special Ed & the Short Bus. “There was a time,” Sellers shared, “when we were Special Ed & the Short Bus, we were all over the place. We’d play Madonna, we’d play a lot more [Frank] Zappa … and I remember getting in an argument with somebody where he was trying to say we’re one of the only bands to be doing this silliness in bluegrass, [but] that goofiness has been a part of it for a very long time.”

Sellers cites Homer Haynes and Jethro Burns, known as “the thinking man’s hillbillies,” who performed in the mid-20th century, as examples. “It’s really easy to look at Homer and Jethro and see how goofy they were, but it goes back a lot further. I think that our approach has been to never take it too seriously, but still to entirely respect it, because we do love a lot of that traditional [music].”

That love for tradition lives right alongside a fearless approach to performing, which both honors the past and seizes the present.

“I think we very much as a band like [what’s] scratchy, looser … I don’t want to say dangerous, but less safe. Take a chance. We’re certainly willing to fall on our faces trying a song we’ve never played before in front of an audience because that’s where the excitement is.”

by Davy Jones

FEATURE

FEATURE

MARCH/APRIL 2016 WAYNE HENDERSON MUSIC FESTIVAL & GUITAR COMPETITION HELD IN MOUTH OF WILSON, VA

COURTESY OF WAYNEHENDERSON.ORG

Old-Time Opportunities in Virginia Looking to share in the excitement? There are a number of opportunities for fans to join in, both as listeners and novice pickers.

Two local jams Sellers mentioned are the ones held at Garden Grove Brewing (every Tuesday at 7 p.m.) and Cary Street Café (Sundays at 2 p.m.). In both cases, amateurs and experienced musicians alike can simply show up, instruments in hand, and join in the type of loose, communal playing that’s at the very heart of Virginia’s musical heritage.

If you want to witness the highest level of mountain music mastery, however, head west for the Wayne Henderson Music Festival & Guitar Competition, held on the third Saturday of each June at Grayson Highlands State Park near Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. In addition to group performances, you’ll find speedy, experienced players competing individually for the chance to win a guitar made by the festival’s namesake – one of the world’s finest luthiers.

To zoom in on bluegrass specifically, head even further west to McClure, Virginia, for the Ralph Stanley Bluegrass Festival, which takes place each Memorial Day weekend. Stanley is one of the genre’s most respected figures, having been inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 1992, and this is your chance to see

him in action with the Clinch Mountain Boys and three days’ worth of traditional picking.

Want to broaden your horizons? Stop by the three-day Richmond Folk Festival, held each October on downtown Richmond’s riverfront.

Stages sprawling from Brown’s Island to the Tredegar grounds host groups from all over the world – some in the vein of old-time, and others ranging from Tuvan throat singing to Cajun zydeco. Scan the bottom of the festival’s 2013 poster and who will you find? The Hot Seats, of course.

They’ll be performing this year at another excellent local event – the annual Richmond Bluegrass Jam, which benefits military families through the Richmond Fisher House. With 30 bands teaming up to fill the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen with music from noon to midnight, March 19 is a date well worth clearing on your calendar.

March 26 brings bluegrass downtown with the Capital Ale House Virginia Beer and Bluegrass Mini Festival, featuring bands and breweries for a Saturday of folk, Americana and bluegrass. Doors to the music hall open at 2 p.m.

And every Sunday, Richmond’s Legend Brewing brings bluegrass to their pub.

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